Ba Xian (“Eight Immortals”) is the most popular group of heroes in Chinese Taoist mythology. It included Lü Dongbin, Li Tieguai, Zhongli Quan, Han Xiangzi, Cao Guojiu, Zhang Guolao, Lan Caihe and He Xiangu. They lived at different times and had various miraculous abilities (for example, the ability to walk on water). Each of the Ba Xian personifies one of the states of human existence: male, female, old age, youth, poverty, wealth, nobility and insignificance.
The eight immortals were very beloved in China. Once upon a time they actually lived in different provinces of a great country. They were all a little strange, and that’s probably why stories about them were heard more often than others and passed on from generation to generation.
Here is Lan Caihe. He wandered around the country in a blue torn dress, with a boot on one foot and the other barefoot. In the summer he insulated his robe with cotton wool, and in the winter he rolled in the snow. He wandered through the city bazaars, singing funny songs, and in return people gave him coins, which Lan Caihe strung on a long cord and dragged along with him. He also had castanets. But, having met with other immortals, he gave them his castanets, leaving himself only a basket of chrysanthemums. Therefore, he became the patron saint of gardeners.
But in Lu Dongbin it was difficult to recognize the immortal. He rather resembled a spirit: he had the face of a dragon, the neck of a crane, the body of a tiger, and the back of a monkey. But this amazing appearance helped him get close to evil spirits and successfully fight them. Moreover, Lü Dongbing had an excellent memory. In one day he could memorize ten thousand characters! Lü is often depicted holding a boy in his arms because when he meets men and women, he wishes for sons for everyone.
Tall and handsome, covered with tattoos, Zhongli Quan knew how to write hieroglyphs perfectly and... command troops. He was invincible, but one day another immortal, the lame Te Guaili, told the enemy how to defeat the commander. He himself, leaning on an iron stick and waving a gourd in which he kept healing potions, went to the river. There he sat down on a piece of bamboo and calmly swam to the other side. And Zhongli Quan was defeated and fled into the desert in disgrace. There he hit a high wall, which split. And in the crack lay a jade box. He opened it, and inside were instructions on how to become immortal!
The magician and wizard was Zhang Guolao. He owned a white donkey that ran ten thousand miles in a day! Before Zhang went to bed, he folded the donkey like paper. But the next morning, as soon as the owner sprinkled the bundle with water, it straightened out and turned back into a donkey. For some reason Zhang sat on it facing the tail and continued on his way. All emperors used the services of a magician, because he could predict the future and remembered everything about the past.
Han Sanzi was also a wizard. Once, at the request of the emperor, during a drought, he caused rain and snow, but... managed to leave the estate of his uncle, with whom he was in a quarrel, without a single drop of precipitation. And another time, during a feast, he filled a basin with earth and, in front of those present, grew wonderful flowers, the petals of which were covered with golden hieroglyphs.
Only Cao Guojiu could not do anything, but simply wandered around the country. But one day Lan Caihe gave him his castanets. And Cao began to sing, dance, and make amazing faces. All artists consider him their patron.
Among the immortals there was one woman - He Xiangu. She knew how to do without food, predicted fate and patronized the household. The gods from time to time instructed her to sweep flowers at the gates of heaven. After working in heaven, she descended to earth again.
Each of the immortals lived on their own, but sometimes they gathered together. One day they were invited by the Queen of the West, Xi Wangmu. There they feasted to their heart's content and went to visit the ruler of the East. On their way was the Eastern Sea. But even the watery abyss was nothing to the immortals. Everyone set off swimming on what they owned: some on castanets, some on an iron stick, some on a basket, some on a donkey. All this turned out to be unsinkable.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru